Friends of Woodthorpe Grange Park 2023
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August 1935
ST. MARTIN’S CHURCH, SHERWOOD
The proposed building of the first portion
ARCHITECTS’ NOTES: As to the extent of the first portion for which tenders from Contractors were obtained on 36th July 1935, with a short description of the work and materials included therein.
The part of the building now proposed to be built consists of half the total length of the Nave and Aisles (56ft), the whole length of the Chancel (24 feet) and its apse, the porch on the North side of the Nave, the Chapel on the side of the Chancel and the Vestries on the other. The nave will be closed in with a temporary west wall with a doorway and a projecting timber porch.
The accommodation will be: Nave 250 persons, Chapel 40 persons, Chancel 40 persons, Total 330 persons
But 30 or 40 additional chairs can be placed in the Aisles where required.
The floor level will be about 2 feet below the present ground level of the site and 2 feet above street level. The soil will be removed to enable this to be done, and there will be a bank of soil between the path alongside the hall and the path on the south side of the new Church. This bank will be about 3 feet high.
Substantial concrete and brick foundations and all necessary drains are provided.
The walls throughout are of brick. The facings are of the modern type, 2 inches thick, of grey rather than red tone and of a pleasantly rough texture. These are used for all external walls ( except for the temporary west wall), and they are inside on the piers and arches of the Aisles. They are also used as projecting pilasters at intervals to mark the three bays into which the nave is divided, and are carried up as a projection below the concrete vault of the ceiling.
The walls of the Versteries are of smooth-facing brick, which will be colour-washed.
The Nave and Chancel are covered over on the inside with a reinforced concrete vault held up by beams on its top side, which support the timbers of the outer pitched roof.
There is a heating chamber in the basement below one of the Vestries, and the walls and floor will be “tanked” with asphalt to prevent possible trouble from spring water.
The inside walls, where not of faced brick, and the concrete vault are finished with a plastered surface.
The widow openings have stone sills and brick arched heads. A flush stone string runs through on the outside walls at the level of the sills.
There are stone dressings to the North doorway, and there are cast (or artificial) stone caps to the piers below the casements to open the ventilation. Some of these would open into hoppers and some on centres.
The glazing would be in leaded squares of plain obscure glass of a pale amber tone to soften the glare of the sun on the south side. But on the north side, clear glass, instead of obscure, may be used.
The windows of the Nave, which are about 2 feet wide by 15 feet high, are an architectural feature of the building and their final treatment, whether with metal bars forming panes or with leaded glazing, remains for a final decision later.
The doors, both inside and outside, would be of oak finished with large plain surfaces, toned and waxed polished.
A necessary plumber’s work for the water supply and waste pipes, and all fittings for lavatories are provided.
There are iron eaves, gutters and rainwater pipes.
The painting of iron eaves, gutters, rainwater and other pipes and fittings both inside and outside is provided.
The steel casements will be treated with a rust-resistant solution and then painted.
There is, however, nothing in the nature of decorative painting and colour washing of walls or ceilings, except for the Vestry walls already mentioned.
The tenders include for both heating and electric lighting. The exact arrangements would be set out and discussed before being put in hand, but the following notes are submitted.
Heating: Low-pressure hot water heating from a coke-fired boiler in the basement to radiators, which would be against the walls in the aisles, Chapel and Vestries and in agreed positions in the Chancel.
Electric lighting: The mains would be brought into the North porch, and all cables would be large enough to allow for the future extension westwards.
Our suggestion is that the main lighting in the Nave and Chancel should be by pendants consisting of a wrought iron band about 2 feet in diameter carrying six 75-watt pearl lamps. These rings would be supported by chains hung from brackets on the walls of the arcade over the centre of each arch. On the walls of the Chancel, there would be similar pendants, one on each side of the stalls over the choir stalls. There may be either two pendants in the sanctuary or two flood lights on the walls. By flood lights is meant any sort of wall light which has a reflector to screen the light from the eyes of those in the Nave.
In the Chapel, there would be either pendants or brackets on the side walls and a suitable light for the pulpit is provided.
An alternative to pendants is the special moulded bright glass bowls and covers known as holophane fittings. They could be placed in similar positions to those suggested for the pendants. The cost of either the simple pendants, such as we suggested, or holophane fittings would be about the same.
There would be simple pendants or brackets in the porches and Vestries, and outside the doors where necessary.
Provision is made for a power supply to the organ blower when required, and also to a plug, in each Vestry for an electric heater.
Gas would be provided for one or two emergency lights and also for a gas boiling ring for cleaning purposes.
